Grain-drier.



No. 825,407. PAT-ENTED JULY 10, 1906.

J. NASH.

GRAIN DRIER.

APPLIOATION FILED 00121, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W't esses cfafimiv lnventon run NORRIS PETERS cu, wasnmcruu, ac

No. 825,407. I PATENTED JULY 10, 1906. J. NASH.

GRAIN DRIER.

APPLICATION FILEi) 0OT.21,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHIRE? 2.

Witnesses THE NORRIS PETIRS ca w4sumanm, n. c.

UNrrEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN NASH, OF DAYTON, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALL RICARDO, OF DAYTON, WASHINGTON.

GRAIN-DRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10, 1906.

Application filed October 21, 1905. Serial No. 283,845.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN NASH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Columbia and State of Washington, have invented a new and useful Grain- Drier, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of grain-driers in which the grain that is to be operated upon is subjected to the drying influences of heat while contained in a drum or cylinder supported for rotation, said drum being in the present instance constructed of foraminous material to admit of the circulation therethrough of heated air and said drum being rotated for the purpose of agitating its contents and exposing the same Equally, as nearly as may be, to the drying eat.

Among the objects of the present invention are the promotion of simplicity, durability, and efficiency in the construction and operation of the device.

Another object is to utilize the heat after passing through the foraminous drum for the purpose of heating and partially drying the contents of the bin or receptacle from which material is supplied to the drum.

Still another object is to improve the interior construction of the drum in order that thorough agitation of itscontents may be insured.

Still another object is to prevent the upward passage of heat from the source of supply except through the foraminous body of the drum.

With these and other ends in view, which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that the right is reserved to any changes, alterations, and modifications to which recourse may be had within the scope of the invention without departing from the spirit of the same.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view of a grain-drier constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention, said section being taken at right angles to the axis of the drum. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a-detail end elevation illustrating a portion of the operating mechanism. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view taken through the lower part of the casing or hopper and illustrating a modification.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated throughout by similar characters of reference.

The drum or cylinder of this device has been illustrated as being composed of solid heads 1 1, secured upon a shaft or axle 2, one end of which is supported for rotation upon a bracket 3 and the other end of which carries a wheel 4, the rim or flange of which engages suitably-supported bearing-rollers 5 5. The

body of the drum or cylinder is composed of foraminous material, such as perforated sheet metal or woven-wire fabric, said body being attached to the heads 1 1 and to a plurality of intermediate spacing-hoops 6 6. For convenience the drum or cylinder as a whole is designated O.

Within the cylinder there is mounted a plurality of supporting and spacing memberswhich are in the nature of angular braces or knees 7, the inner ends of which are connected with the axle and the outer ends of which are connected with the spacing-hoops, said knees or braces cooperating with the hoops, the heads, and the axle to form the frame or skeleton of the drum. These knees or angular braces have another important function in affording supporting means for the interior buckets or deflectors S and 9, which are composed of foraminous or screen material, strips of which are attached upon the braces. The screen-strips forming the inner buckets 8 are mounted upon the upgoing sides of the ends of the braces 7, which are connected with the axle, and they are spaced from the screen-strips forming the outer buckets 9, which are supported upon the upgoing sides of the ends of the braces 7, which are connected with the hoops 6. Owing to the angular shape of the knees or braces, the inner and the outer bucket members will thus be supported at an angle to each other, and the strips constituting the bucket members being spaced apart it follows that material may be discharged therebetween. The drum or cylinder is provided at any desired point of its circumference with a receiving and discharging aperture 10, for which a closure 11 is provided.

The drum or cylinder is supported for operation within a chamber or compartment 12, having a hopper-shaped bottom 13,provided with an outlet 14. The compartment 12 is arranged beneath another compartment 15, constituting a feed-bin and having a hopper-shaped bottom 16 constructed of suitably-supported foraminous or screen material. The bottom 16 has a feed opening or slot 17, for the closure of which avalve 18 is provided. Within the chamber or compartment 12, upon the walls of the latter, there are supported shelves or brackets 19, upon which are pivoted valves 20, operable by handles 21, so that said valves may be caused to engage the sides of the cylinder when the latter is in operation, and thus forming what maybe regarded as tight closures between the walls of the cylinder and the walls of the casing. Upon the hopper-shaped bottom 13 of the casing 12, beneath the cylinder C, are supported a number of heating-coils, such as steam-pipes 22, said coils being connected at one end with a source of steam-supply and the water of condensation being preferably returned to the boiler in a regular circuit. Within the scope of the invention dry heat may be supplied in any suitable manner other than that herein shown, and it will also be within the scope of the invention to use perforated steam-pipes in case it shall be desired to utilize the apparatus for the purpose of steaming instead of for drying grain, as is sometimes done. This modified form of the invention has been illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings, where 22 designates the steampipes, having perforations 23. When the heating-pipes 22 are used, it is preferred that they be disposed horizontally, as clearly seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and connected at alternate ends to form continuous conduits and that deflectors, as 24, be arranged above the individual pipes for the purpose of defleeting the heat downwardly and inwardly in the direction of the longitudinal center-of the hopper, or, in other words, in the direc tion of the drum or cylinder C through the foraminous body of which the hot air will be compelled to ascend. The shaft of the cylinder has been shown as carrying a spur wheel 26, meshing with a pinion 27 upon a suitably-supported shaft 28, which receives motion from a source of power (not shown) to impart rotary motion to the cylinder.

Reverting to the valves 20, it will be observed that the valve at the up oing side of the cylinder extends upwardly om its pivotal point, while the valve at the downgoing side of the cylinder extends downwardly, so as not to interfere in the least with the operation of the device. These valves may,

when desired, be thrown out of contact with annexed. The cylinder is supplied with grain to be dried through the aperture 17 in the bottom of the feed-bin, after which the aperture 10 is closed and the cylinder is started to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 and the lower part of the chamber 12 being heated, as described. As the cylinder rotates the grain contained therein will be scooped up by the upgoing bucket members 9 and will be discharged by the latter as they assume a tilted position, partly through the interspaces 30 between the bucket members and partly upon the inner-bucket members 8, the contents of the downgoing inner buckets being discharged through the interspaces 30 into the lower part of the cylinder, which is occupied by the outer-bucket members 9. In this manner the contents of the cylinder is very thoroughly stirred and agitated, while it is at the same time subjected to the heating and drying action of the hot air ascending from the bottom of the com artment 12 through the foraminous body 0 the drum, it being particularly observed that the passage of hot air, exce t through the body of the drum, is practical y prevented, owing to the presence of the valves 20. The heated air rising from the drum is not permitted to go to waste, but is compelled to ascend through the perforated bottom of the supply-bin 15, so that material contained in the latter will receive a preliminary heating treatment by the heated air, which would otherwise be permitted to go to waste.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A drum or cylinder having an axle supported for rotation, angular braces extending between the axle and the perimeter of the cylinder, and spaced strips constituting bucket members supported respectively upon the inner and the outer ends of said angular braces.

2. A drum or cylinder havin a foraminous body and an axle supported or rotation, spaced hoops supporting the foraminous body, angular braces connecting said hoops with the axle, and spaced foraminous strips constituting bucket members supported upon the angular braces adjacent to the axle and the hoops, respectively.

3. A foramlnous drum or cylinder su port-- ed for rotation and having interiorly-disposed foraminous bucket members, ahopper beneath said drum, and heating means in the hopper.

4. A chamber or casing having a hoppershaped bottom, a foraminous drum supported for rotation in the casing and having interior agitating means, means for heating air within the hopper, and means, including valves bearing against the drum, for preventing heated air from rising adjacent to the outer sides of the drum.

5. A chamber or casing having a hoppershaped bottom, a foraminous cylinder supported for rotation in the casing, heatingpipes supported upon the sides of the hoppershaped bottom, and deflectors above said i pipes.

6. A chamber or casing having an outlet in the lower part thereof, a foraminous cylinder supported for rotation within the casing, air-heating means in the lower part of the casing, shelves upon the walls of the latter, and valves supported by said shelves and adapted for exterior engagement with the cylinder. 1

7. A chamber or casing, a foraminous cylinder supported for rotationwithin the casing, a supply-hopper above the casing having an inclined foraminous floor and provided with an opening through which the contents of the hopper may be discharged into the cylinder, and air-heating means in the chamber below the cylinder.

8. A chamber or casing, a foraminous cylin der supported for rotation within the casing, a supply-bin above the casing having a toraminous hopper shaped floor, air-heating means in the chamber below the cylinder, and means including valves eXteriorly engaging the cylinder for preventing heated air from rising except through the cylinder.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afliXed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN NASH.

Witnesses J. O. MAoCRIMMoN, J. H. NEEDHAM. 

